Qatar crisis is caused by gov't, not people: UAE official

The United Arab Emirates' Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar

Gargash, said on Friday that Qatar crisis is not caused by "its people," but

it's "the product of Qatari government towards its neighbors."

Gargash said on twitter that the diplomatic rift with Qatar is "regrettable,

but predictable," adding that the "political crisis shall be resolved by

politicians."

The diplomatic rift erupted on June 5 when the three Arab Gulf states UAE,

Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, along with Egypt severed diplomatic ties with Qatar

and implemented a transport boycott on the gas-rich Gulf country.

They accused Qatar of supporting "terrorism." Qatar denies the charges.

Mediation efforts by Kuwait, the United States and Germany have not been

successful as yet.

Earlier in the week, rating agency Standard and Poor's said "We expect that

political tensions within the Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC) will persist over

the next few years, and believe that the boycott of Qatar has illustrated deeper

fissures within the group than were previously evident."

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)